Shubman Gill returned to India’s T20I squad after 14 months for the Asia Cup in September.
The Punjab hitter not only did not make a comeback, but he was also named vice-captain in the shorter format. Fans were curious as to how Shubman, who returned to the side after spending over a year focussing on Tests and ODIs, was able to open the batting from the first match in the Asia Cup, pushing the in-form Sanju Samson down the order.
In October and November, Sanju Samson hit three centuries in five T20Is while starting the batting. However, before of India’s first T20I against South Africa on Tuesday at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, captain Suryakumar Yadav explained why Shubman opened the batting instead of Samson.
Suryakumar stated that Shubman was India’s opener in the T20I series in Sri Lanka in July 2024, when he took leadership of the team. That is why, despite Samson’s effectiveness in subsequent assignments, Shubman was given the opportunity to bat at his preferred position upon his return to the team.
“In terms of Sanju, when he came onto the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now the thing is, other than the openers, I feel everyone else has to be very flexible. He really did well when he opened the innings. But Shubman has played before him in the Sri Lanka series, so he deserved to take that spot,” Suryakumar said in the pre-match press conference.
Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma?
Samson was moved to the middle order after Shubman’s comeback. He scored one half-century from five matches before being replaced by Jitesh Sharma during the tour of Australia. While Jitesh is expected to start in the series against South Africa, Suryakumar stated that Samson is also in contention.
“We gave Sanju Samson opportunities; he was ready to bat at any number. It’s good to see a player being ready to bat in any position,” Suryakumar said.
“From 3–6, anywhere. I have told this to all the batters: other than the openers, everyone has to be flexible. Both are in the scheme of things. It’s always good to have both of them as part of the squad. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. Both can do all the roles. It’s an asset to our team and a good headache to have,” he added.
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